1920s Feel Elegant Pink & Gold Atrium London City Wedding

WWW readers Esther and Ashley were married on the 19th April 2014 at Devonshire Terrace in London. With a vision of a city wedding with a 1920s feel they created the most beautiful day. They had subtle opulence adding pink blooms with luxe gold details.

Esther looked effortlessly gorgeous in her lace gown and perfectly wavy hair style while Ashley was dashing in a velvet jacket and bow tie combo.

THE PROPOSAL | Ashley proposed in my parent’s hometown Bristol which meant we could celebrate with all my family so it was extra special.

THE VISION | We are city lovers so our vision for the day was to have our wedding in London where we live. We wanted our guests to feel like they were coming to a destination, as we love travelling. The wedding invitation was a plane ticket and the décor was based around our planned honeymoon to Asia with a nod to the 1920’s our favourite era for style and inspiration.

THE PLANNING PROCESS | We started planning as soon as we go engaged; hours were spent on blogs, books and magazines for inspiration. We visited flea markets and car-boot sales for all the vintage touches.

To keep on top of the budget we had an extensive spreadsheet with all the costs, seating plans, menu choices and honeymoon details so we could share the information easily. The planning process was intense towards the last three months of the wedding it is almost like a second job but I loved every minute.

BUDGET | Our budget was £15,000 this went up slightly as the small things get forgotten about!

THE VENUE | We wanted a venue that was under cover for April showers Devonshire Terrace Liverpool Street was the perfect location as it was in a glass atrium with a city view. That meant the wedding ceremony could be outside. In the evening we had desserts, cheese, wine and coffee outside with a Jazz artist that really set the romantic mood!

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES | My dress was fitted with a lovely fish tail so that made a statement in its self; I went for simple jewellery in the shape of a heart and an infinity bracelet. My shoes were velvet burgundy slippers with a gold cigarette heel and lasted me the whole day including the dancing!

I had a lovely Giuseppe Zanotti white clutch a gift from a friend that matched my dress perfectly and a hand made hairpiece by Boe Wright to match my lace dress.

FINDING THE DRESS | I visited 2 wedding shops and had no clue what I wanted or what style would suit me, as I am quite petite, 20 dresses later and I had found the ‘one’!

In the end the dress I choose suited the element of vintage I wanted to include in the wedding.

GROOM’S ATTIRE | Ashley had a made to order Tux and accessories by Indochino and wore a navy velvet blazer for the evening reception.

THE READINGS & MUSIC | I came down the aisle with my dad to Pachelbel’s Canon in D I wanted something classical, we went for Clean Bandit Rather Be for something fun for coming back up the aisle.

The ceremony was conducted by my uncle this meant it was very personal and a proud moment for all of us. His words were heartfelt and reminded us of the true meaning of marriage.

My family and family friend kindly did the music for the ceremony and we had to beautiful songs from our church that meant a lot to us.

My sister and her Fiancée read readings from the bible, as I wanted family to make a mark on the day. The Best Man read a poem Marriage by Anon, which was very special.

BEAUTIFUL BRIDESMAIDS | My sister Rebecca, Ashley’s sister Hayley and my best friend Jen were my bridesmaids. They all helped me so much with everything and the hen-do was amazing! We ended up changing the dresses the times but ended up with a floor length gown in blush pink from Lipsy.

I had two Flower Girls one being my cousin who came all the way from Kenya especially for the day; the shift dresses were by Monsoon with gorgeous beaded detailing.

THE FLOWERS | The flowers were by Nicky Doosdon a florist I had met through work she is excellent and really good at understanding someone’s brief and then going above that. I wanted fresh spring flowers in white and blush pink with an Oriental feel so we used a mix of paperwhites, tulips, powder white hydrangea pips and cymbidium orchid heads, peonies and cherry blossom or the arrangements.

For the ceremony we had two large tall arrangements of tall cherry blossom branches that set the scene and made a big statement. The flowers made the day and were worth paying extra for as they really lifted the venue.

THE CAKE | Crumbs and Dollies made the wedding cake which was Vanilla and Rose water, we were so busy on the day we only got a small taste sadly but it went quickly and looked/tasted wonderful! We had a wedding cheesecake to balance out the sweet treats as my friends and family all baked and contributed to the dessert table it went down a storm with the guests and especially the kids.

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER | Miki Photography photographed my wedding so well and caught all the small moments we would have missed other wise. His ability to relax us and have some fun was great so everything felt natural. He had photographed the venue before so I knew how amazing the pictures would look and his style suited Ashley and myself well. I would highly recommend him for a wedding he is so friendly and understands and digests all the information and requests and then produces amazing things.

THE DETAILS & DÉCOR | The décor was the most important part for me as I work in design and appreciate small details. The venue did not need a lot adding to it as it had so much character so I went for simple, chic and clean. The wedding stationery was in a metallic gold with a 1920’s print Eagle Eyed Bride do a great selection with a luxury finish.

As we went for an Oriental theme I wanted blush tones mixed with gold, white and navy as it gives an opulent feel without breaking the bank. The flowers were the most important feature and I wanted that to make the wow factor. Therefore props were minimal but carefully thought about my Dad hand painted Chinese umbrellas which we suspended from the ceiling and did all the 1920’s hand lettering in gold for elements of stationery on the day and the seating plan. There were a lot of hand made items including activity books for the kids, chopstick favours with handmade sleeves, handmade confetti and a giant gold heart for the dance floor that took my mum a week to make.

Candles made a huge impact and I bought over 100 in gold, pinks and copper so the room twinkled all evening.

The dessert table had a ‘tea party’ feel with handmade cake stands, vintage cake plates and bowls and teacups for tea-light holders.

THE HONEYMOON | 10 days in Asia first a city stop to Hong Kong for some hustle and bustle and then onto Vietnam for relaxation by the beach.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS | The day was truly amazing I wish we could rewind each moment was so special and unforgettable. The highlight for both of us though was to have all our friends and family there some who had travelled from abroad and it was a once in a lifetime chance to have everyone together.

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES | Get friends and family involved all that they contribute with make the day special for you and them. I love detailed itineraries and spreadsheets to keep on top of things it helps with the stress and enjoy the planning is fun and the day runs smoothly without any worrying. Make sure you eat something at the wedding breakfast, as the food is one of the best bits but can easily be forgotten about.

Lastly always have a buffer fund for all the unexpected costs as they do creep up suddenly.